Automatic circuit breaker for vehicles



Dec. 10, 1957 G. A. STOUT 2,816,188

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. 23, 1955 I VENT R.

United States Patent AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR VEHICLES George A. Stout, Marion, Ohio Application December 23, 1955, Serial No. 555,057

2 Claims. (Cl. 200--61.45)

My invention relates to an improvement in a circuit breaker and more particularly to a circuitbreaker automatically operative for de-energizing the electrical systern of an automobile in the event of collision or overturning and thereby preventing fire from spilled gasoline, for example. 1

It is an object of my invention toprovide a safety circuit breaker for automobiles having means responsive to a sudden stopping or jolting of the automobile.

It is also an object to provide a circuit breaker having manual means to break the circuit so that the operator may set the same to prevent theft of the vehicle or a short circuit while the vehicle is standing unattended.

It is a further object to provide a circuit breaker having means for adjusting the same as to what degree of movement of the vehicle is necessary to automatically operate the device.

I shall not here attempt to set forth and indicate all of the various objects and advantages incident to my invention, but other objects and advantages will be referred to in or else will become apparent from that which follows.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

The single figure is a longitudinal side view of my circuit breaker with the supporting housing in section and the pivoted arm shown in broken lines in the alternative off position.

My circuit breaker A includes the outer box-like housing 10. The numerals 11 and 12 indicate spaced apart openings formed in the wall 13 of the housing and through which the threaded horizontal supports 14 and 15 extend. The supports 14 and 15 are held in position in the openings 11 and 12 respectively by means of the nuts 16 which are screwed up against the insulating washers 17 positioned on the supports 14 and in the holes 11 and 12.

The battery cable 18 is connected to the support 14 by placing the same on the support and then drawing up the nut 16'. The numeral 19 indicates the cable which connects to the starter of the vehicle. The upper support 14 has formed on the inner end thereof a bifurcated end portion 20. The switch bar 21 is pivotally mounted in the bifurcated end of the support 14 by means of the pin 22.

The inner end of the lower horizontal support 15 is formed with a bifurcated portion 23 as in a knife switch which is adapted to frictionally engage the lower end 24 of the switch bar 21.

I further provide the L-shaped arm member 25 which includes the upright portion 26 which has formed on the lower end thereof the extension leg portion 27 extending at right angles to the portion 26. A short cable or link 28 connects the end 24 of the bar 21 to the outer free end of the leg portion 27. The arm member 25 is pivoted on the pin 29 which is secured to the wall 30 of the housing support 10. It will be'seen that the right angular leg 27 allows withdrawal of the end 24 of the arm 21 from the end 23 Whether the weight 37 pivots right or eft.

The numerals 31 and 32 indicate stop members which may be secured to the wall 30, and the same limit the extent of travel or movement of the arm 25 when thrown ofi. a neutral circuit-making position shown in full lines in Figure l. I further provide the friction foot pad 33 which may be secured to the wall 30 of the housing 10 by means of the arm portion 34 and the bolt 35. The foot 33 is so positioned that it engagesthe top arcuated edge 36 of the weight 37 which is secured to the upper end of the portion26 of the arm 25.

The housing 10 of thedevice A may be mounted on the battery support of avehicle or the fire wall or bulkhead adjacent the battery and provided with an opening for access. In using the device A, the arm 25 is placed in the position shown in Figure l in fullline, with the end 24 of the bar 21 in releasableengagement with the bifurcated end 23' of the support 15. When the vehicle on which the device is mounted stops suddenly, the weight 37 moves to the position indicated in broken lines as B thereby lowering the end of the arm 27 which draws the end 24 from engagement with the end 23 of the support 15 thereby breaking the electrical circuit.

If the vehicle in which the device A is mounted is given a sudden jar from the rear, the weight 37 moves to the position indicated in broken lines as C thereby raising the end of the arm 27 and drawing the end 24 free of the end 23 of the support 15 to break the electrical circuit completely by breaking one side of the battery load.

The amount of jar or quick movement necessary to move the weight 37 is controlled by the amount of pressure exerted by the foot 33 on the surface 36 which may easily be adjusted by bending the foot 33 upwardly or downwardly.

I have thus disclosed a simple yet efiicient circuit breaker automatically actuated by a sudden stopping or jarring of the vehicle in which it is mounted. With my construction a minimum number of parts are used, and the same is virtually foolproof. In addition, the weight 37 may be manually moved to either position B or C to prevent operation and theft of the vehicle.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, that which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic circuit breaker for vehicles comprising a housing including front and side walls, a first substantially horizontal conductor, means for mounting said first conductor within said front wall and extending rearwardly within said housing and forwardly therethrough, means at the forward end of said conductor for connecting thereto the battery cable of the vehicle, a second substantially horizontal conductor, second means for mounting said second conductor Within said front wall below and in vertically spaced relationship to said first conductor, said conductor extending rearwardly within said housing and forwardly therethrough, conducting means connecting the forward end of said second conductor with the starter of the vehicle, a conductor arm pivotally connected at its upper end to the rear end of said first horizontal conductor, said second horizontal conductor at its rear end being integrally formed with a bifurcated portion adapted to frictionally receive therewithin the lower end of said conductor arm when the circuit is closed, a substanti-ally L-shaped arm having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion at the lower end of said vertical portion, means pivotally connecting the lower end of said vertical portion of said L-shaped arm within said housing rearwardly of said first and second horizontal conductors and conductor arm with said horizontal portion being aligned longitudinally withthe lower end of said conductor arm, link means connecting the forward end of the horizontal portion of said L-shaped arm to the lower end of said conductor arm whereby to move said conductor arm away from said bifurcated portion upon rotation of said L-shaped arm in either direction about its pivotal mounting within said housing, a weight secured to the upper end of the vertical portion of said L-shaped arm and having a convex upper surface, and a friction trip pad mounted within said housing, and in frictional engagement with the concave upper surface of said weight whereby to resist the initial movement of said weight to a predetermined amount and whereby to break the circuit upon forward or rearward movement of said weight upon collision of the vehicle due to its inertia and to overcome the friction foot pad and to open the circuit.

2. An automatic circuit breaker for vehicles according to claim 1, said means for mounting said first and second horizontal conductors within said front wall comprising said front wall having vertically aligned, vertically spaced openings therethrough, each of said horizontal conductors being externally threaded at their forward ends and passing through said openings, a pair of nuts screwed onto the externally threaded portions of said first and second horizontal conductors in abutment with the outer and inner faces of said front wall, and an insulative washer on each of said horizontal conductors intermediate said nuts and positioned within the openings in said housing whereby to insulate said conductors from said housing, said means for connecting the battery cable to said first conductor comprising a third nut screwed onto the forward end of said first horizontal conductor to engage the cable intermediate said third nut and the nut in abutment with the front face of said front wall, and a third nut screwed onto the forward of said second conductor and mounting therebehind said conductor means in engagement with the nut in abutment with the font face of the front wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,493,556 McDannold May 13, 1924 2,539,736 Fraser Jan. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 702,962 France Feb. 2, 1931 

